Éric Zemmour unveiled his goals for the school on Friday.
But the presidential candidate has also created controversy because of his position on students with disabilities.
He called for the return of a school of the “past”, of “authority” and of “iron discipline”, during a trip to Hauts-de-France.
The far-right candidate exchanged with a dozen teachers committed to his cause in the village of Honnecourt-sur-Escaut, before a public meeting in Saint-Quentin (Aisne) in the evening, with several hundred people.
According to him, since the student demonstrations and the strikes of 1968, the school has become that of “generalized mediocrity”, because “it is better that the students are mediocre in order to be able to indoctrinate them”.
The Reconquest candidate!
also resumed his recurring attacks against "LGBT ideology" and the associations SOS Homophobia and SOS Racism, "lobbies that must be driven out of school", in his eyes.
“The obsession with inclusion is a bad way”
The ex-journalist proposes to abolish family allowances for parents of disruptive or seriously absentee children. He wants to set up "reintegration boarding schools" for the most violent students, accusing President Emmanuel Macron of having "done nothing to restore order". He also wants the wearing of the blouse in primary school, the restoration of the certificate of studies (a diploma which sanctioned primary education) or the L, S and ES sectors in high school. The candidate also repeats that he wants the end of English lessons in primary school in order to give priority to French and arithmetic. Those who succeed today, the “Singaporeans or Koreans”, apply the “same methods” as Jules Ferry, who made school free and compulsory at the end of the 19th century.Zemmour thus calls for the use of "by heart", "dictations" and "large texts".
Regarding disabled children, Éric Zemmour would prefer to welcome them in “specialized establishments”, rather than in classes with other children. “The obsession with inclusion is the wrong way for children and teachers. “On this point, the leader of the LR deputies Damien Abad, himself disabled, castigated on Twitter “scandalous comments on the education of disabled children”, whom Éric Zemmour “wants to exclude from school in an ordinary environment. . This segregation on all levels is an absolute shame. Yes, we must be obsessed with inclusion. I ask for a public apology”.
Scandalous remarks by Eric Zemmour on the education of disabled children whom he wants to exclude from school in an ordinary environment.
This segregation on all levels is an absolute shame.
Yes we must be obsessed with inclusion.
I demand a public apology
— Damien Abad (@damienabad) January 14, 2022
Sophie Cluzel, the Secretary of State for People with Disabilities, "mother of a young disabled girl", was also indignant on BFMTV this Saturday.
" What does it mean ?
That disabled children are not children of the Republic?
“And to continue:” It starts with foreigners, then people with disabilities?
How far will this man go?
»
Disability at school: Secretary of State for People with Disabilities Sophie Cluzel "very angry and dismayed by Éric Zemmour's vision of society" pic.twitter.com/Zbpi0cahWH
– BFMTV (@BFMTV) January 15, 2022
Faced with these reactions, Éric Zemmour clarified his remarks at the end of the morning in a series of messages on Twitter.
He says he wants “adapted, personalized and flexible solutions”.
"Each disabled child must be given the solution that corresponds to him".
He relies on exchanges he says he had with families of disabled children.
“Parents tell me: inclusion in ordinary schooling is not always the best choice for them”.
For the education of disabled children, I want adapted, personalized and flexible solutions: we must act with realism and generosity.
— Eric Zemmour (@ZemmourEric) January 15, 2022
Finally, he assures that he is "very attached to the fact that there are bridges between education in a specialized and ordinary establishment".
He guarantees that he wants to "be present to support the most fragile among us".
